MARY KATHERINE FRANKLIN
Chief Investment Officer
Mary Katherine has an 18+ year history in finance. Most recently, she served as Chief Credit Officer for the Corporate Bank at Cadence Bank (NYSE: CADE), one of the largest regional banking franchises in the United States with $47.8 billion in assets at the time.
In that role, she chaired the Large Loan Approval Group, oversaw credit decisions across the Corporate Bank, and worked closely with the Board of Directors on credit quality, portfolio trends, and emerging risks.
Prior to that, she was Executive Managing Director of the Private Bank, where she led a team across four states, delivering significant growth and achieving a significant improvement in efficiency. Earlier roles at Cadence included Director of Corporate Special Assets, where she successfully reduced criticized assets, and Texas Regional Executive of the Private Bank, where she led double-digit growth in both revenue and income while streamlining team structure and operations.
Before joining Cadence, Mary Katherine worked in special assets and restructuring roles at Conway MacKenzie and Amegy Bank, where she gained deep experience in credit management, workouts, and turnaround finance. She began her banking career as part of Amegy’s Officer Development Program and advanced through roles in Private Banking and Special Assets.
Mary Katherine earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. She has been actively involved in leadership and community service, serving on the Senior Leadership Team and Merger Communication Team at Cadence Bank, as a board member for Baker Ripley, and previously on the advisory board and management committee for the Urban Land Institute. She is also actively engaged in her community through volunteer and church leadership roles. Mary Katherine resides in Houston, Texas.